A brilliant start to a new detective series. Freya Sinclair is instantly likeable and relatable, back in her small town after fleeing the events that seen her family put behind bars. She’s barely back in her chair when the body of a child is discovered in the lake.
What unfolds is unthinkable and almost unbelievable, but small towns keep big secrets well don’t they?! The storyline was deeply disturbing and I’d have liked to have seen a trigger warning in the opening. However the title does pretty much speak for itself.

I enjoyed the side characters, Freya’s colleagues Candy and Brad, and can easily see enough of a back story for future books. As with Esther, a loveable light character who has been a mother figure to Freya.

There is much suggestion of what happened in Freya’s past to make her leave for Texas, I wouldn’t quite say too much, but enough that I double checked this was definitely the first in the series. Perhaps book 2 will give us the whole story?

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.

Thank you to Bookouture audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

I liked the MC and her complicated backstory, though I wish there would have been more details about it. I kept feeling like I’d picked up a book later in a series and needed to “go back” and read previous book to catch up, except this is book 1. 😕

The bad guy is a new choice but was a hard sell for me. Overall I can’t say “I liked it.” I was bored often and by reveal (86%) I really wanted to DNF. I kept pressing on hoping to learn more about the MCs past, which is the most interesting part of the book.

Thanks netgalley for my ALC.

This was a very intense and clever mystery with a little side piece of thriller. Found myself immersed in the mystery surrounding the drowned girls. The characters were pretty well rounded, you find yourself interested in them as people, so I think the author did a great job getting my interest.
Definitely recommend to the mystery fans out there.

This is my second Emily Shiner novel. I previously read, and thoroughly enjoyed, The Wife in the Photo. Three Drowned Girls is a solid police procedural without any big twists or turns. The plot is intriguing, although difficult to read at times due to the nature of the crimes. I appreciate the addition of a mysterious backstory for Freya. I enjoyed learning about her and her relationship with Esther. All of the characters were developed in a way to maintain interest through to the next book in the series. I’m looking forward to reading One Liar Left to discover more about Freya and her dark past.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, this review is based on my opinion

The idea behind this story is very interesting and is definitely what attracted me to this read. I enjoyed the point of the story but I do feel like there were a few places where the story could have used more meat in order to make it less transparent. Overall it was a decent read.

Another hit from Emily Shiner!
And, the start of a new detective series!

Captain Freya Sinclair left her small hometown several years ago….after a shocking revelation involving her parents….
She’s finally come back to head up the detectives division of this small town.

The good news is — she’s up for the job.
Bad news is — her boss still doesn’t fully trust her. 😮

And so, on DAY ONE of her new life back in her old town, a very young girl turns up dead. So, Freya and her next in line, Candy, head out to try to catch a killer…

To say they turn up much more than they ever bargained for would be a huge understatement! But, the channels they have to go thru to find out what they need…just amazing!

Some triggers to note: MURDER of young (very young) girls with some graphic scenery painted in my mind…. As well as allusions to serial killers in the past…

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#ThreeDrownedGirls by #EmilyShiner and narrated nicely by #AmeiliaSciandra.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is due for release on 4/22/24…in about 10 days!!

⭐️. Small town vibes…just remember, people have very long memories though.
⭐️. Two female detectives leading the investigation. Terrific, but scary @times.
⭐️. Older female MC who took in the lead FMC as a child after a sh*tstorm… (I love the relationship between the two of them!) ❤️
⭐️. Said older woman trying to be a matchmaker…

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

I had a hard time with the narrator. She made the book feel really dry, and even though I tried not to let that change my rating of the book based on content, it did play a small role in my rating. HOWEVER, Both her parents were serial killers? BOTH? Very unrealistic to me…but if any time had actually been spent on talking about that, maybe I could have been convinced. The case was also pretty unbelievable to me. A community of completely uncaring mothers who just want their girls to be quiet and look pretty? A little far fetched. I was definitely interested, but left wanting.

I read this book in one sitting! I couldnt stop, I had to see where it was all going and how it would play out.
It's a sad story, as it deals with the murder of children, but the story is done respectfully and it made solving the case all the more meaningful and important.
I enjoyed all the characters and the twists...don't want to say too much about the book's story as to not give away all the turns and surprises that are revealed, but I'd definitely recommend this book...I was hooked!

Really solid 4.5 star read!

Audio: The narrator did an incredible job of telling this story. Captivating but also neutral enough to not be distracting or annoying. Narrating audiobooks like this can be so difficult and she did a truly wonderful job. I would specifically look for her narration in future audiobook selections.



Characters:

These were all extremely well thought out characters. They felt like real people that you would know from your hometown. I'm impressed with the author's ability to create believable "extras" in this story. Every person interviewed by Freya felt real and not like an afterthought or fill-in character.

Freya was interesting. She had the right balance of working through her past, tackling her present and looking to her future. I would have loved to hear MORE of Freya's past and her parents, though. I was looking forward to hearing more about this after reading the book description and felt let down that very little was actually explained or mentioned. Perhaps the author will dive into this in book #2? I hope!
In addition to some background on her family I wish she would have explored her relationship more. I see the author hanging a carrot but right now it is only a very little, tiny, teeny baby carrot. Could have used a LOT more!

Esther is magic. I loved her character and would read an entire book about her younger self. Bless her.

Candy was lovable and fit very well as a supporting character. The character was not overpowering but still held her own which I really appreciated.

Hot neighbor - I NEED SO MUCH MORE!!!



Overall:

This is a really solid read, it had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. The characters were complete, interesting and well thought out. Some of the best character groups I have read in a very long time. The story could use some more oomph to really pack a punch.





Thank you NetGalley and Emily Shiner for the ARC and opportunity to provide my honest review.



*Constructive criticism not listed on my Goodreads Review*

The lack of backstory on the serial killer parents and the lack of any real progress in a romantic relationship will steer some readers away from continuing this series. Even if both relationships are revealed in the second book I truly believe the readers need something more to keep them interested enough to pick up the next book. This book has such great characters and writing and I think the only thing missing is a relationship. It needs trauma from parents more deeply explained or spice from the hot single dad. With either (or both) of those things this could be a FIVE STAR read.

3.5⭐️ This book takes place in a small town in North Carolina where the main character is immediately thrown into an investigation on her first day. Detective Freya Sinclair has a dark history in the town and there are many hints throughout the book (as well as the book blurb) that lead you to think you know what happened to her as a child but you never directly find out details (which drove me nuts because I want to know everything she went through lol).

That being said, I would pick up the second book because I am intrigued to find out more about Freya & her team. I did really enjoy the characters; they made a great team! The book definitely had me guessing. I wasn’t sure who the bad guy was, and the story was pretty crazy!

I listened to the audiobook & the narrator was really good at doing different voices & it was really easy to know when a different character was talking. I flew through this in 2 days. Definitely a quick & easy read that was enjoyable!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Three Drowned Girls to give my honest opinion.

I have never read/listened to an Emily Shiner book and I have to say I was hooked from the beginning. I really felt invested in the main character, Freya a police detective. I also enjoyed her writing style with relatively short chapters that kept the pace quick! I was fortunate to have the ebook and the audiobook at the same time so I was able to enjoy the novel both ways. The narration was easy to listen to and the changes in voice added to the experience. There are many twists and turns that keep you guessing right up to the end. I will definitely read more Emily Shiner books and look forward to the next book in this series. The book and audiobook are expected to be released April 22, 2024.

Thank you Net Galley, Bookouture Audio and Emily Shiner for the opportunity to preview this audiobook and the opinions expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #EmilyShiner #BookoutureAudio #ThreeDrownedGirls

Something bad was happening in Fawn Lake.

Freya Sinclair, a Captain in the local police department, has just returned to the town where she grew up. She'd had to leave for a time after discovering that her parents were serial killers and getting them put in prison. On her first day of work, she is called to the scene where the body of a young girl has been discovered alongside the river. As the investigation heats up to determine that this was foul play, more young girls go missing.

This was a fast and entertaining crime thriller and the first in a new series featuring Captain Freya Sinclair and her team in this small North Carolina town. I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook at the same time enjoying the excellent narration -- especially the accents. I liked the characters and the backstory that revealed some of Freya's history. The plot was interesting and though there were a lot of characters to keep straight, the police investigation and their discoveries were really dark and wild. I'm definitely looking forward to continuing this series and will be looking for the audiobook before I dive in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copies.

3.5-
Young girls are being found, drowned in the water and other girls are missing. Once the investigation is underway, a common denominator is found. The parents of these girls are acting strangely and school officials are cagey too. What’s happening to these girls and where are the missing ones?

Positives:
1.) I really enjoyed the narrator.
2.) I really couldn’t guess what was going on before it unfolded.

Negatives:
1.) I had a hard time believing that the situation wouldn’t have garnered more press or hysteria by the public.
2.) The storyline got a bit crazy at the end there. It was a tad unrealistic.
3.) I had trouble keeping up with the different characters.

Overall, it’s an audiobook worth listening to and will keep you guessing throughout.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three Drowned GirlS by Emily Shiner is another stellar triumph from this utterly incredible writer and a breathtaking performance from the narrator Amelia Sciandra

Freya Sinclair has been away for five years after her parents committed crimes that rocked the small town of Faun Lake (When I say I NEED this back story, I am not joking, the references to it throughout this story are intriguing) Freya returns to her job at the police department, this time as Captain of the Detective squad and on her first day back, the first call from dispatch is about a body, found floating in the lake. However, this is not the only body that Freya will find and as the mystery unfolds, a dark underbelly to the town is revealed, not from the areas you would presume however

Emily Shiner has a great talent of presenting the reader with little clues throughout the storyline, was it the blacked out pickup truck, the soft drink bottle, the white ribbon. All little clues here and there which do not necessarily take you down the right path. This is highly engaging, pulling the reader into the investigation. In addition, I found the characters utterly relatable. Freya has every right to be angsty, but while she is a closed personality, she begins to warm up. Candy, her Detactive is brave, smart and scrappy, her mom-figure Esther is a bean, Brad is a labrador cop who is there to work on the detective team temporarily. On the other side of the coin, there are characters that you will despise, on so many different levels and TW for certain themes surrounding these characters

I absolutely adore Emily Shiner's writing style. It is powerful, engaging, dynamic and relatable and Ijust cannot put her books down, everything else seems to mute out while I am in a Shiner novel. If you love thrillers and a strong FMC that is genuine, highly relatable characters with immensely immersive storylines, this is the author for you

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture audio, the incredible author Emily Shiner and outstanding narrator Amelia Sciandra for this EPIC ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my ARC.

The story is told from the perspective of Detective Freya Sinclair who returns to her hometown after 5 years away. Freya is immediately thrown back into work when a little girl is found having drowned under suspicious circumstances. The story follows Freya, Candy and Brad as they investigate the crime as more little girls start to go missing.

Who doesn’t love a strong female crime solver with a complex backstory. The author builds up suspense and suspicion throughout. They also hook you from the very first moment with a prologue that delivers you straight into the horror of an active crime.

The narrator really encompasses the atmosphere and the urgency of finding the little girls in their storytelling.

Would definitely recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers, detectives investigating crimes and complex characters. This is the first in the series and I cannot wait for the next one as this one definitely kept me wanting to know more.

I'm always intrigued by the first books in series, as I'm curious how the author can introduce a character with enough backstory to investigate without overshadowing the main story of the book itself. I am delighted to say Emily Shiner does this well. I really liked the character of Freya, and am definitely looking forward to more of her stories.

As for this mystery, it's a massive crime in a small community, that's already had it's deal of bad press/history, and the way it's carried out is unbelievably believable. It's shocking, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Audiobook review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Audiobook was well acted, narrator does give the characters southern accents as they should have being in the Carolinas. The narrator had very distinct voices for the characters, which I really appreciate, as this makes dialogue on audiobooks easier to follow.

Freya Sinclair is newly reinstated as Captain Detective of her hometown. She had previously relocated and is now returning to her hometown and home precinct. This book is third person and follows Freya and her thought process. Fans of Tana French will enjoy the thought process of Freya. Most of this follows the story, which is a bit dark.

Then again, the trigger warning is RIGHT THERE in the title, this is about dead kids. I love the tertiary characters, her mother-figure Esther, her coworkers Brad and Candy. Freya is not that flawed, a bit preachy, but we learn more about her backstory as the story goes on. The mystery was not easy to solve, there were many characters and side stories. I had no small amount of satisfaction by learning of how the detective team dealt with setbacks and how they followed up on their leads. I can tell by the description that this is the first of Freya Sinclair detective stories, I will definitely read the rest.

This is a good mystery, a little dark due to the subject matter, but easy to follow and very bingeable.